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Liturgy/Prayer and Worship

Proposed Goal: To provide communal celebrations of our faith in word, music and song appropriate to the congregation that enable everyone to be involved in mind, heart and spirit and be drawn into the mystery of God, to deepen and nourish their faith and empower them to go out into the world and proclaim our faith by word and deed.

Because liturgy celebrates the saving mysteries of God's love in Christ and is the prayer of God's holy people, it demands careful preparation. The time given to the preparation of the Sunday liturgy by all the liturgical ministers  should reflect its central position in the life of the Church.

The Second Vatican Council describes Liturgy as the summit to which the activities of the Church are directed and the source from which all her power flows. Liturgy, especially the Eucharist, is the means by which we are drawn into the mystery of God, spiritually nourished, and empowered to go out into the world and bear witness to our faith. If any area deserves pre-eminence it is this one.

At our last meeting we considered this area and a number of important considerations were raised including age-appropriate liturgies and special liturgies (e.g. Anointing of the Sick). Important though these were, none would fill the role of our ultimate or principal goal.

Within our physical limitations, our liturgies should be occasions when we come together as a faith community to celebrate that faith in word and song. They must aim to draw us into the mystery of God so that we have a genuine religious experience. It is a time when our faith is nourished by word and sacrament and we are thus empowered and motivated to go out into the world and undertake our part of the mission of Christ. The celebrations need not be complicated but must be prepared with the utmost care that reflects the importance of the occasions. Nothing short of the best effort by all concerned is good enough for our act of Thanksgiving to God for our salvation.

The Council also underlined the importance of the active participation by all present. The liturgy is a celebration of the community and it is also a celebration of community. All are called upon to play their part. It must never be a performance or a concert even though musical and choral excellence is rightly pursued. It is something that should involve the hearts and minds of all who are present.